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Xenoblade Wiki:Drafts/Policies/Spoiler Policy
This page details the Spoiler Policy on Xenoblade Wiki. Xenoblade Wiki is committed to collecting and providing as much information as possible pertaining to the Xenoblade Chronicles series. This includes plot points and late game material; as such, spoilers are inevitable. As a courtesy, a spoiler warning system has been implemented on this wiki. Nevertheless, for those sensitive to spoilers, the whole website should be treated as one giant spoiler, and Xenoblade Wiki makes no guarantee that all spoilers are covered under the warning system. Scope This policy applies to all Xenoblade Chronicles works which contain story elements. This specifically includes, but is not limited to, video games, downloadable content (DLC), smart phone apps, comics, anime, short stories, novels, and films. Definition of spoilers According to Wikipedia, "A spoiler is a piece of information about a narrative work (such as a book, film, television series, or a video game) which reveals plot points or twists and thus may degrade the experience of persons who wish to experience the work themselves." Some examples of spoilers include: * Plot twists ** The death of an important character (playable or otherwise) ** Betrayal by an important character ** Revelation that a character believed to be dead is alive ** Revelation of unexpected connections or (past) alliances between characters * The resolution of major plot points, especially near the end of a work * The ending of a work Some things which are not spoilers: * Material shown in official prerelease promotional material such as trailers or previews * Material shown in cover art, including cover art for tie-in products such as soundtracks * Changes during New Game+ which have no plot impact, such as antagonist Blades being usable by the player during New Game+ in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 * Any information about a work which has reached the End of Spoiler Protection phase These lists are not all-inclusive. If an editor is uncertain whether an element should be considered a spoiler, the editor is encouraged to ask on the Wiki Board. Marking spoilers Spoilers should be marked with either the Futurerelease or Spoiler template, as described below. Collapsible text must not be used to hide spoilers, as it has numerous problems, including not working on mobile devices. Spoiler protection life cycle Spoiler protection on Xenoblade Wiki follows a life cycle of four phases: # Pre-release phase # Launch phase # Protection phase # End of Spoiler Protection Each work released follows its own spoiler protection life cycle which is not dependent on the phase any other work is in, even if those works are closely related. This means, for example, the release of DLC with story content does not change the date that the related game reaches the End of Spoiler Protection phase. Pre-release phase The Prerelease phase begins when a new Xenoblade game or other work is officially announced, and lasts until the work is released in English. During this phase: * Pages must be marked using the Futurerelease template. * Information must come from credible sources, such as officially released material or confirmed gameplay. ** Speculation is not considered appropriate for pages about unreleased content. Speculation may be posted to page comments, the Xenoblade Games Board, or user blogs. ** Leaks from unofficial sources are considered speculation and, as such, will not be accepted. However, the leak may be cited as the source of the information if it is later confirmed by a credible source. Launch phase The Launch phase begins when the work is released in English and lasts for 2 months. During this phase editors should set the proper spoiler protections on pages so that pages are correctly marked for the Protection Phase. During this phase readers should be extra cautious, as spoiler protection is in a high state of flux, and spoilers may be not marked or marked incorrectly. * If a page contains major plot details, a Spoiler template should be placed at the top of the page. * Pages that do not pertain to plot details (i.e. collectables, sidequests, Arts, etc.) should not have a Spoiler template. * If an editor is unsure whether or not a spoiler template should be included, they may place a Futurerelease template instead. (see below point) * Pages with a Futurerelease template should have their spoiler status evaluated and the template either removed or replaced with a Spoiler template. They may be left if the user evaluating the pages is unsure. If however, the release period ends before a decision is made, the templates will be removed without replacement. Protection phase The Protection phase begins two months after the game or other work is released in English and lasts until spoiler protection ends. Spoiler warnings remain in place for the protection phase. End of Spoiler Protection This phase begins one year after the English release of a Xenoblade Chronicles work. During this phase, spoilers from a work are no longer marked. Existing spoiler templates are removed. Editors and administrators are strongly encouraged to inform readers at least 30 days in advance that spoiler protection will be removed from a work. Adoption If adopted, this policy will be a major change from existing practice. To allow readers the opportunity to be aware of this change, the removal of spoiler warnings will not begin until at least 30 days after this policy is adopted. During this time the editors and administrators of Xenoblade Wiki will take whatever measures are deemed appropriate to inform readers of the change. Collapsible text may be removed immediately upon the adoption of this policy. If it is the only spoiler protection provided on a page, editors are encouraged to consider whether adding a spoiler warning template is appropriate. This portion of the policy may be removed 90 days after the adoption of the policy.